It would help if I’d seen Vong Phaophanit’s piece above in some form other than reproduction, but I immediately thought of this artist’s work yesterday at the Biennial while viewing Carol Bove’s piece Night Sky Over New York. The impetus for their respective works may be different of course, but it’s hard not remark on the similarities between the two wind chime installations.

I heard from someone that knows Carol that the piece was made in tribute to the former, although instead of being decorative it maps some sort of star chart overhead. I’m not sure of the specifics, but it was certainly something i enjoyed looking at.

I heard from someone that knows Carol that the piece was made in tribute to the former, although instead of being decorative it maps some sort of star chart overhead. I’m not sure of the specifics, but it was certainly something i enjoyed looking at.

This bronze piece is actually officialy titled “Night Sky Over New York October 21, 2007 at 9pm”. The date refers to the birthday of Michele Maccarone, Carol’s gallerist who hosted Carol’s solo fall 2007 exhibition “The Middle Pillar” in her space in the West Village. Carol mapped the stars according to this date as they would appear in the sky over New York and then placed a bronze rod at the point of every star. In this way, this piece can be seen as a “horoscope” that is, a scope into a moment in time, specifically the birth of Michele Maccarone.

The formal aspects are directly inspired by Richard Lippold sculptures in the four season’s Grill Room the interior of which was designed by Lippold and Philip Johnson. Although the aesthetic connection between Bove and Vong Phaophanit’s is curious it is mostly coincidental. Bove clearly makes references in her work and if you are familiar with Lippolds work than you would know her references are rather blunt.

“First time tragedy, second time comedy.”–? Perhaps I don’t quite understand what you mean by this but I believe we should be careful to assume that referencing the past is always humorous or ironic.

This bronze piece is actually officialy titled “Night Sky Over New York October 21, 2007 at 9pm”. The date refers to the birthday of Michele Maccarone, Carol’s gallerist who hosted Carol’s solo fall 2007 exhibition “The Middle Pillar” in her space in the West Village. Carol mapped the stars according to this date as they would appear in the sky over New York and then placed a bronze rod at the point of every star. In this way, this piece can be seen as a “horoscope” that is, a scope into a moment in time, specifically the birth of Michele Maccarone.

The formal aspects are directly inspired by Richard Lippold sculptures in the four season’s Grill Room the interior of which was designed by Lippold and Philip Johnson. Although the aesthetic connection between Bove and Vong Phaophanit’s is curious it is mostly coincidental. Bove clearly makes references in her work and if you are familiar with Lippolds work than you would know her references are rather blunt.

“First time tragedy, second time comedy.”–? Perhaps I don’t quite understand what you mean by this but I believe we should be careful to assume that referencing the past is always humorous or ironic.